Eldland

Eldland is a region steeped in scars both ancient and fresh, a place where every ruined fortress and standing stone whispers of battles long past. It lies on the western edge of a northern continent on its planet Eseron, hemmed in by mountain ranges, storm-lashed seas, and divided by the great Reinach River that sustains its fertile heartland. To its rulers, it is a kingdom worth defending at any cost; to outsiders, it is a prize glittering with relics of bygone ages; to wanderers, rebels, and pirates, it is a land where fortunes may be made, or lives swiftly lost.

At the very centre of Eldland stands Kronstadt, the near unconquerable river city, capital of the Kingdom of Reinar. Yet Kronstadt’s strength has never brought Eldland peace. From the rebellious and icy north to the shadowed and death-bringing accursed lands, and from the elven colony on the stormy isles to the hidden vaults of the Denur in the mountains, Eldland is a crossroads of ambitions and old wounds.

Geographic Regions

Similar to other continents or landmasses, Eldland comprises a set of geographic regions, each one as unique as the next.

Severkray - The ever-frosted forests of the North

The most northern region of Eldland, known as Severkray, consists primarily of mountainous forests, which are dusted with a layer of snow and ice near the mountainous sections of the region, giving the northern region a nearly ethereal look. However, while the fairytale landscape and its snowy mountain tops shine beautifully under the rays of the sun, underneath the many twigs and branches of the forest, one may find individuals with hearts just as cold as the landscape they live in. Warming the hearts of those living in the north takes a lot of time and effort, as they are wary of strangers and even friends alike. After all, Many have experienced the horrors of the beasts living in the depths of the forests, how those beasts can even take on the shape and form of their friends and family, just to lure them into their den, never to return to the surface.

Narath - The burning steppe

Just south of the Reinach River, one may find a steppe, which stretches over the vast landscape. The dry and sandy land barely has any natural coverage from the sunlight, besides the occasional, and often dried-up, tree that might be found every few meters. Just as its nickname describes, the Narathian region consists mostly of said scorching hot steppe and savannah, making this land nearly uninhabitable. Especially due to such climate and topography, the land has barely been explored, and settlers are sparse, most often consisting of nomadic tribes, which travel from one waterhole to the next, or a handful of refugees who left the lands further south of Narath in the hope of finding a better life elsewhere.

Dôk-Myr - The accursed lands

Most folks have heard the nickname of Dôk-Myr; after all, many myths and legends of the accursed lands exist. Yet, as with any myth or legend, they contain a spark of truth. Dôk-Myr was once described as a flowering landscape, one of beauty and peace; however, hundreds of years ago, during a conflict, the land was damaged beyond recognition and shrouded in permanent darkness. As a result, the very nature of the region has mutated, twisted and changed, becoming impossible to be ingested or used for anything else but deadly poison.

Great Chasm - The arcane scar

The Great Chasm is an artificially formed region of Eldland, one not formed by tectonic movements or climates, but rather by external force. It was formed millennia ago when a cluster of comets impacted upon a mountain range on the eastern parts of Eldland, ripping apart the very stone and soil, while enriching the surrounding landscape with arcane energies. As such, this chasm was formed and became a place of knowledge and training for many arcanists.

Nebulond Isles - A captain's bane

The surrounding coastal region, Nebulond, earned its nickname as a bane for any captain decades ago. The uneven shoreline and the ragged stones, which jut from the seafloor, are a common occurrence, dotting most of the waters around Eldland. Especially close to the Reinach Delta, those topographic elements have caused many sailors to lose their ships or even their lives. Such becomes especially visible with the number of capsized ships one may find simply by walking along the shorelines. Besides those aspects, Nebulond contains multiple islands, most of them small and uninhabited; however, the occasional lighthouse or watchtower may be found on those secluded pieces of land.

Crownlands - The wheat basket of Eldland

The Crownlands are a lush and fruitful region close to the western shorelines of Eldland and running alongside the Reinach River. Built within this very region resides the great city of Kronstadt, the very capital of the Kingdom of Reinar, while smaller settlements can be found all over the Crownlands. Due to the enormous food supply required to keep the city and settlements from collapsing, most of the region was transformed into agricultural land, consisting of farms and orchards. The Reinach River also acts as an important source of food and, even more importantly, as a way of transport and as a natural line of protection.

Omesha - The devouring swamps

Just east of the Crownlands, one may find that the soil starts to soften under their feet, just to realise that they have stumbled into the very swamps of Omesha. Known for its humid and wetland-based environment, this region has been housing many unique plants and just as many deadly creatures, ranging from ginormous insects to battle-hardened wyrms. Finding someone who willingly wishes to live in those swamps has been a rarity, yet those few folks who reside within the swamplands of Omesha seem to like to keep to themselves, practising customs and ancient rites even folk of the northern regions would consider to be blasphemous.

Karmikil Mountains - The spine of Eldland

While Eldland is framed by the sea to the western side and the steppe on its southern side, the northern and eastern areas of Eldland are encompassed by the Karmikil, a mountain chain also known as the Spine of Eldland. The mountains’ name has been derived from the Denurûm, identifying them as the “Small Mountains” or Karaz-Mikil. The said mountain chain is always covered by ice and snow, closer to the peak of the individual mountains, while those few, clear areas are mostly surrounded by deadly cliff sites. As such, inhabiting the region has been fruitless for the most part, besides the few pieces controlled by the Kalan Confederation and the Conclave of Conjurers. Yet, while most folks try to stay away from the spine, a few still wish to explore this region for its earth-bound treasures, most often attracting the ire of wild men and beasts.

Thonevit - The realm of the dwarves

A stout range of mountains thrones in the centre of Eldland, dividing the lush south and the harsh and frigid north. Thonevit, the entrance to the realm of dwarves, is heavily guarded by the fortress Dar-Gur, capital of the Kalan Confederation, and acts as a passageway between all of Eldland's regions, while also granting access to the underground cave systems the dwarves have called home for centuries. Few folk know more about the mountainous lands within the pass, as the Denur have proven to be very disapproving of any unwelcome guests.

Flora & Fauna

The fauna of Eldland consists mainly of common species, animals known to a majority of Esero; however, a certain percentage of the living species can only be found in Eldland and specific locations on Esero. In total, it is assumed that sixty percent of all creatures on Eldland consist of common species, while another twenty percent of creatures are adaptive forms of those common species. The remaining ten percent of creatures are unique creatures, which do not have a common species as a baseline, but are rather beings previously unknown to the world or not classifiable otherwise.

Eldland's flora follows a similar rule to the land's fauna, as a majority of the plants are widespread species, which can be found all over Eseron. Yet, while such may be the truth, a selected few regions do not follow this exact rule, instead harbouring unique plants, which ignore the very norms and regulations of reality. Giant mushrooms, magical plants, and mutations, which have not been seen anywhere else on Eseron, can be found within those regions of Eldland, only to be discovered and researched.

Minerals & Resources

A fair share of Eldland consists of hilly or mountainous regions within which many earthly treasures, including rare gemstones and ores, can be found. As such, mines are a frequent sight near mountains, most often owned by nobles of the land who try to fill their coffers through their mining attempts. Most of the region's substantial mineral deposits can only be accessed by entering the lands of the Kalan Confederation, as the Denur have explored and exploited most of the deep undergrowth, knowing exactly where one may find the most gemstones or the rarest of ores and possessing the knowledge to access these places.

Besides treasures of the ground, Eldland is known for its unusual number of ancient magical artefacts, which are regularly dug up throughout the realm. The Kalan Confederation, as well as the Conclave of Conjurers, insist that the only people they deem reasonable enough to safeguard these artefacts- Themselves. Thus, these groups have many treasures of old under lock and key, either to protect the artefact from outside forces or to protect outside forces from the artefact itself, relieving many farmers of their newly found riches in exchange for hard coin.

Many of the regions of Eldland encompass farmlands, forests, or river streams, each of them carrying its own unique supplies of riches. Farmlands are used to cultivate and grow vegetables, wheat, herbs, or fruits, while also providing sufficient space for animal breeding for a steady meat and dairy production. The forests, instead, act as a steady supply for wood, but also for game hunting. However, not every forest is easily accessible, with the north being prowled by beasts and the southern regions by sickness. As such, different types of wood are still being sought after by many. Lastly, the river streams act as a way of transportation, while also granting access to fishing and wetland-based farms. Fishermen, rafters, and millers can be found along those rivers, making the riverlands the pulsing heart of Eldland's economy and filling many stalls at the local marketplaces.

Demography

While humankind has established grand cities, such as Kronstadt, surrounded by rural settlements and farmlands, they are not the sole demography of Eldland. It instead consists of multiple different humanoid species, including humans, dwarves and, most recently, elvenkin. The human species displays the largest percentage regarding the demographic split, sporting significantly higher birth rates than any other race. Although low in numbers, as arguably Eldland’s oldest population, the dwarves have established themselves over the last millennia, mainly living in the mountains and underground, further away from humankind. Most recently, the elven invasion of Eldland has caused a rather large number of young elves to settle on Eldland’s coast, pressuring the original inhabitants to move further inland.

Lastly, it is noted that besides those three major demographic groups, many minor groups exist, most often those of tribalistic or nomadic origin. Those groups include the few tribes of the Blemmyae, Trolls, Ogroids, and many more humanoid species hiding in Eldland’s marches, mountains, and woodlands, far away from civilised folk.